Grip for golf clubs and the like and method of making the same



March 9, 1954 oogwm 2,671,661

GRIP FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME FiledJune 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2/ '1 30 j I g Z 3/ 52 if f 3L 07 30 3o35 3/ l l 5 54 20 Z/ x4 5! E I! l 25 g5 22 X3 3 I Q'- 7 2 I 9'1 20IINVENTOR. 5 flay/.5 T6000 w/A BY l dmgw z fldfl drum/5w March 9, 1954GQODWIN 2,671,661

GRIP FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME FiledJune 22. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORV ha Y1. E T 6000 WIA/ I?TTOCNE/I Patented Mar. 9, 1954 GRIP FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE ANDMETHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Hoyle T. Goodwin, Durham, N. 0., assignor toC. S. I. Sales Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication June 22, 1950, Serial No.-|169,681

6 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending applicationfiled July 12, 1949 and assigned Serial No. 104,227.

The present invention relates to improvements in grips for golf clubshafts and the like and to an improved method of making the same. Theinvention is more particularly concerned with the provision of a griphaving an improved gripping surface, and which may be readily applied tothe club shaft. These, therefore, are the general objects of the presentinvention.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a grip for a golfclub shaft which may be readily manufactured and which may be readilyapplied to a club shaft without the use of a cement between the clubshaft and the grip, and which when applied will facilitate the holdingof the shaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide a preformed strip ofstretchable, resilient material, such as rubber, which may be wrappedspirally about the shaft of a golf club or the like and which may be sowrapped as to eliminate or avoid the use of an adhesive material betweenthe shaft and the strip and yet which will not slip relative to theshaft when in use.

Another object is to provide a grip for a golf club or the like havingthe advantages above mentioned, which may be readily used as areplacement for existing grips, and which will be attractive inappearance and provide a satisfactory feel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved gripfor golf clubs, tennis rackets and the like which will provide aresilient and cushioning effect and, at the same time, eliminatecontortion or movement of the gripping surface relative to the clubshaft or handle. Further, the present invention provides a grip whichwill minimize or permit the control of the grip torque, a factor whichin the past has made resilient grips undesirable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmethod of manufacturing a grip for the handles or shafts of golf clubs,tennis rackets and the like which will facilitate the provision ofmulti-colored grips.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved methodof manufacturing a grip which may readily be applied to existing shaftsor handles, and which will result in the provision of a grip having animproved gripping surface.

According to the present invention there is provided a grip for golfclubs or the like com prising, an elongated strip of stretchable, re-

silient rubber composition or rubber-like material having an elongatedflange extending outwardly along one longitudinal edge thereof havingits bottom surface substantially flush with the body of the grip, andhaving an elongated channel extending inwardly from and along the otherlongitudinal bottom edge thereof and adapted to receive the flange whenthegrip is wound spirally about a shaft or handle.

Further according to the present invention, there is provided a grip forgolf clubs or the like comprising, anelongated strip of resilient,stretchable rubber composition or rubber-like material having a hardnessof from thirty-five to fifty-five as measured by a Shore A durometer,and having a mechanically roughened external gripping surface.

Further according to the present invention, an integral elongatedstretchable rubber strip having an elongated flange extending outwardlyalong one longitudinal edge thereof with its bottom surfacesubstantially flush with the body of the grip together with an elongatedchannel extending inwardly from and along the other bottom longitudinaledge thereof and adapted to receive the flange when spirally wound abouta shaft or. the like, is molded of a rubber-like composition, the moldedstrip is then stretched and while so stretched its upper surface issubjected to the action of an abrasive material to roughen its surface.

Further according to the present invention, the body portion of themolded strip has its upper edges beveled, which surfaces are coated witha thin coating of paint of a color differing from that of the body ofthe strip and the upper surface of the strip is then subjected to theaction of an abrasive to roughen the-upper surface of the strip andremove any color adhering thereto.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a gold club shaftprovided with the improved grip of this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the preformed strip of stretchable, resilient material which formsthe improved grip; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the strip illustrated inFig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the strip, the plane of thesection being indicated by the lines 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is afragmentary section similar to Fig. 4 but on a greatly enlarged scale;Fig. 6 illustrates an improved club cap or tip piece for use inconnection with the improved grip; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectionthrough the wound shaft, the plane of the section being indicated by thelines 1-! on Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a view of the club shaft and illustratesthe manner in which the winding 3 of the strip may be started; Fig. 9 isa fragmentary view of a club shaft and illustrates the man ner ofwinding of the strip as it nears completion; Fig. 10 is a view similarto Fig. 9, illustrating the strip completely wound and ready to besecured in place; Figs. 11 and 12 are views illustrating the coating ofthe longitudinal edges of the molded strips with color; Fig. 13 is aview illustrating the improved methd of roughening the upper surface ofthe molded strips and removing the color coating from such surface; Fig.14 is a fragmentary sectional view through the apparatus shown in Fig.13, the plane of the section being indicated by the lines |4--|4 on Fig.13; Fig. 15 is a fragmentary side elevation of the roughened strip; andFig. 16 is a sectional detail. the plane of the section being indicatedby the lines |6--|6 on Fig. 13.

The invention has been illustrated in the drawings as applied to aconventional steel golf club shaft 20. These shafts are tubular and aretapered, sometimes in graduated section, toward the lower end of theshaft to which a head, not shown, is affixed in the usual manner.Generally the upper end of the tubular shaft is closed by a cap having abutton-like tip provided with a plug portion which is driven into theopen end of the shaft. This tip provides an abutment for the grip. Suchtips or plugs remain in place due to their drive fit, or are cemented,pinned or otherwise secured to the club shaft.

The present invention contemplates the use of the improved cap 2 I,shown in Fig. 6. The cap 2| comprises a tubular or cup-like portion 22into which the upper end of the shaft projects. 5

The cup-like portion is tapered as at 23 and its upper end is closed andprovided with an outwardly extending flange 24 which provides anabutment 25 against which the upper end of the grip may seat. The cap 2|is preferably made of a rubber composition or rubber-like material andits flange 24 is sufficiently large in diameter to permit it to betrimmed to suit the user after the grip has been applied.

The improved grip comprises an elongated molded strip of rubber or otherstretchable, resilient, rubber-like material having a hardness of fromthirty-five to fifty-five as measured with a Shore A durometer, andwhich, when stretched, provides sufficient friction to assist inretaining the strip on the shaft. The strip 30 is preferably molded andis provided with a substantially longitudinal flange 3| which extendsthe entire length of the strip. The under surface of the flange iscontiguous or flush with the under surface of the body portion 32 of thestrip. The flange 3| is materially thinner than the body portion 32 ofthe strip and forms substantially a right angle with the body portion ofthe strip, as indicated at 33 in Fig. 4.

The bottom of the body portion 32 of the strip 30 is provided with alongitudinal undercut or groove 35 which extends along the longitudinaledge thereof opposite the flange 3|. The dimensions of this groove areidentical with those of the flange 3|, and when the grip is spirallywrapped about the shaft the groove will overlie the flange and becompletely filled thereby. The outer corners 36 of the flange and theinner corners 31 of the groove are both substantially ninety degrees.Thus when wrapped spirally about the shaft as shown in Figs. 1 and 10the surfaces 40 and 4| of the flange abut the surfaces 42 and 43respectively of the groove and prevent relative movement of the stripaxially of the shaft 2. The outer upper corners 41 and 48 of the bodyportion 35 are rounded and coact to provide a spiral groove 49 when thestrip is wound about the shank.

The ends of the body portion 32 of the strip are beveled as shown at 50and 5|. The angle of this bevel is such that when the strip 30 isspirally wound about the shaft the beveled surface 50 lies in a planenormal to the axis of the shaft 20 thus enabling it to abut the shoulder25 of the cap 2|. The other beveled surface 5| lies in a similar planeso as to facilitate fastening thereof to the shaft as indicated in Figs.7 and 8.

The flange 3| extends some distance to either end of the body portion 32as shown at 52 and 53. The end 52 of the flange 3| is comparativelythin, and may be wrapped about the portion 23 of the cap 2 I, as shownin Fig. 8, until the beveled portion 50 engages the flange 25 of the capwhereupon the strip is spirally wound about the cap and shaft, thussecuring the upper end of the grip to the cap and the cap to the clubshaft 20.

The strip 30- is stretched as it is wound so that it tightly engages theshaft and is wound with the groove 35 at the top and the flange 3|toward the bottom of the shaft. Thus the tensioned portion of the stripoverlying the flange 3| will retain the strip in position on the shaft.This, together with the abutting edges heretofore mentioned, preventsany creeping or relative movement between the strip and the shaft andavoids the necessity of using cements or adhesives as has been thecustom in the past.

When the strip is completely wound the extension 53 of the flange 3| iswound about the shaft and, as indicated in Fig. 10, is wrapped with aband of adhesive tape 54 or is bound with twine at its lower end in theusual manner to form a complete grip as shown in Fig. 1.

In manufacturing the improved grip, a plurality of individual strips 30of rubber-like composition are molded in the usual manner. These strips,as molded, are somewhat greater in height than the thickness desired forthe finished product.

If the completed grip is to be made in contrasting colors, a pluralityof strips are assembled as indicated in Fig. 11, so as to expose theedges 45 and the associated surfaces of the flanges 3| of each strip. Asillustrated, a plurality of strips are superimposed one atop the otheron a suitable support 60 in such manner that each strip covers the majorportion of the upper surface of the strip therebelow. A thin layer ofcoloring material as, for instance, a paint having a rubber base is thenapplied to the exposed edges 45 and the associated beveled corners 41 ofthe body portions of the strips. The paint used is preferably of a typecontaining a liquid solvent which evaporates rapidly at room temperatureand which will dry quickly. When dry the strips are restacked, asindicated in Fig. l2, on a suitable support 6| with the opposite edges44 and their adjacent beveled corner portions 48 thereof exposed forcoating in the same manner as were the edges 45. The colored coating maybe applied in liquid form in any other well-known manner such as, forinstance, by spraying.

After both color coatings have been applied, the upper surface 49a ofeach strip is subjected to the action of an abrasive to mechanicallyroughen the strip. The roughening operation also serves to remove any ofthe color coating from the top surface of the body portion 32 of thestrip and provides a grip which, when wrapped on a club shaft, has thedesired feel.

The roughening operation is accomplished, as

indicated in Fig. 13, where a plurality of strips 30 are shown assembledon a platen 65 with the flange of each strip seated in the recess of thenext adjacent strip. This platen is passed beneath an abrasive coatedroll 66 which is rotated in any suitable manner so that the surface ofthe roll, coacting with the strips, moves in a direction opposite to thedirection of movement of the strips.

The platen 65, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, comprises a relatively flatsupporting structure having a recess in its top which is filled with aresilient pad 66 of sponge rubber or similar material. Secured to theends of the platen M are suitable retaining devices 61. Any form ofretaining device may be used which will facilitate rapid positioning ofthe strips on the platen, and which will retain the strips in astretched condi-- tion. For this purpose there is shown a tightly woundcoil of spring wire which is attached at various points to the ends ofthe platen as by pins or studs 68. The arrangement is such that one endof the strip as, for instance the end 52, may be placed between thecoils of the spring 61 at one end of the platen, the strip stretched toelongate the body portion 32 thereof from three to ten per cent, and theother end 53 of the strip inserted between the coils of the spring 61 atthe other end of the platen to retain the strip in its stretchedcondition with its lower surface in engagement with the sponge rubberpad 86 of the platen 55.

It has been found that a highly satisfactory finish is obtained wherethe strips are stretched to elongate them approximately five per centacross a sponge rubber base or pad and while so stretched are subjectedto the action of an abrasive grit of a fineness of about numbertwentyfour (No. 24) covering the surface of a three inch diameter rollrotating at abouttwenty-five hundred revolutions per minute (2500 R. P.M.) while drawing the platen slowly past the roller with suflicientpressure to remove approximately five per cent of the material from thebody portion of the strip.

The supporting of the strip 30 with the flange 3| of the next adjacentstrip seated in the channel 35 thereof provides a support for the entirebody portion of the strip. The use of a sponge rubber pad assistsmaterially in preventing longitudinal movement or creeping of the stripand provides a resilient support during the abrading action. The actionof the abrasive material removes the mold finish surface from the gripand roughens it, leaving a series of minute projections such asindicated in the enlarged sectional view in Fig. 5. This grindingoperation also removes any of the coloring material 8| which mightadhere to the outer surface of the body portion of the grip, therebyleaving the coloring material only on the abutting and curved surfaces44, 48 and 41 visible when the grip is wrapped about a club, suchcoloring material being greatly exaggerated in thickness in Fig. 16.

It has been found advantageous to taper the body portion of the trailingend of the grip. To accomplish this, the platen I4 is provided with ashim 85 which extends transversely beneath the strips mounted thereonadjacent the ends 5! thereof. This shim elevates such ends above theremaining portions of the strip, and, as the strip is ground, a greateramount of material will be taken from such end portions, as is indicatedby the dotted line 81 in Fig. 14. This produces a strip decreasing inthickness adjacent its end as indicated at 88 in Fig. 15. If desired,the body portion 32 of the entire strip may be tapered by inclining thebottom surface 89 of the platen relative to its upper surface. Such atapering of the grip would increase the normal taper of the club shaft,and may be of an amount suitable to the user.

I claim:

1. A surfacing strip for wrapping about the handles of golf clubs andthe like without the use of an adhesive, comprising an elongated stripof homogeneous stretchable resilient material having a hardness of from35 to as measured by a Shore A" durometer, and having an elongatedflange extending along one longitudinal edge thereof and an elongatedgroove along the opposite longitudinal edge thereof and adapted toreceive said flange when the strip is spirally wrapped about a clubhandle or the like, one end of said strip increasing in thickness fromthe end inward of the strip.

2. The method of making a surfacing strip for wrapping about the handlesof golf clubs and the like from an elongated strip of stretchableresilient material having an elongated flange extending along onelongitudinal edge thereof and a recess along the opposite bottom edgethereof, comprising resiliently supporting the strip with a fillerseated in the recess of said strip to support the portion of the stripthereabove, stretching the strip while so supported, and subjecting thestretched strip to an abrasive action while in the stretched conditionto roughen the upper surface of the strip.

3. The method of making surfacing strips for wrapping about the handlesof golf clubs and the like to form hand grips therefor from elongatedstrips of resilient stretchable material, each strip having a bodyportion with elongated flanges extending outwardly therefrom and alongone longitudinal edge thereof and an elongated recess extending inwardlyand along the opposite edge thereof, and the flange and recess being ofthe same thickness, comprising applying a color coat to the edges of thestrip, positioning a plurality of coated strips on a resilient supportwith the flange of each strip occupying the recess of the next adjacentstrip to support the body portion of such strip overlying the recess,stretching the strips to elongate them approximately five per cent,securing the ends of strips to the support to maintain the stretchedcondition, subjecting the upper surface of the stretched strips to theaction of a rotating abrasive coated member extending across all of thestrips to thereby remove any color coating from and roughen the uppersurfaces of such strips and thereafter releasing the strips.

4. A surfacing strip forapplication to the handles of golf clubs and thelike, comprising an elongated homogeneous strip of molded stretchableresilient rubber-like composition material having a hardness of fromthirty-five to fifty-five as measured by a Shore A durometer, said striphaving an elongated flange extending along one longitudinal edge thereofand a second elongated flange extending along the diagonally oppositelongitudinal edge adapted to overlie the first named flange when thestrip is spirally wrapped about a club shaft or the like, the exposedsurface of said strip having a roughened finish coacting with the degreeof hardness to provide a cushioned grip surface substantially free fromslippage, the ends of said strip being cut on a bias 7 and eachterminating in elongated anchoring portions having a width relativelynarrower than the width of the major strip portion and extendinggenerally parallel therewith.

5. A surfacing strip'for winding about the shaft of golf clubs withoutthe use of an adhesive and the like to form a hand grip, and comprisingan elongated one piece narrow strip of resilient stretchable rubber-likematerial having a hardness of from thirty-five to fifty-five as measuredby a Shore A" durometer, and having an elongated flange along onelongitudinal edge thereof and an elongated flange extending along thediagonally opposite longitudinal edges and one of which is adapted tooverlie the other when the strip is spirallywrapped about a club shaftor the like, the ends of said strip being cut on a bias and eachterminating in elongated anchoring portions having a width relativelynarrower than the width of the major strip portion and extendinggenerally parallel therewith.

6. A surfacing strip for wrapping about the handles of golf clubs andthe like without the use of an adhesive comprising, an elongatedhomogeneous strip of stretchable molded rubberlike resilient materialhaving a hardness of from twenty-five to thirty-five as measured by aShore A durometer, an elongated flange extending along one longitudinaledge thereof and a recess along the opposite edge thereof, said flangeand recess being of less thickness than the body of 8 the strip wherebywhen the strip is spirally wound about a club shaft or the like therecessed portion of the body will overlie the flange, the outer edges ofsaid strip being beveled and provided with a layer of coloring material,the coloring along both edges coactlng when the strip is spirally woundon a club shaft to provide an inlaid band of color in contrast to thebody of the strip, the ends of said strip being cut on a bias and eachterminating in elongated anchoring portions having a width relativelynarrower than the width of the major strip portion and extendinggenerally parallel therewith.

HOYLE T. GOODWIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 205,880 Lockwood July 9, 1878 1,556,781 Gjorup Oct. 13, 19252,061,918 Nanfeldt Nov. 24, 1936 2,115,119 Park Apr. 26, 1938 2,195,626Lamkin Apr. 2, 1940 2,323,744 Winkle July 6, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 12,661 Great Britain 1904 443,228 Great Britain 1936

